[[topicpartition-initial-offset]]
= Topic/Partition Initial Offset
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There are several ways to set the initial offset for a partition.

When manually assigning partitions, you can set the initial offset (if desired) in the configured `TopicPartitionOffset` arguments (see xref:kafka/receiving-messages/message-listener-container.adoc[Message Listener Containers]).
You can also seek to a specific offset at any time.

When you use group management where the broker assigns partitions:

* For a new `group.id`, the initial offset is determined by the `auto.offset.reset` consumer property (`earliest` or `latest`).
* For an existing group ID, the initial offset is the current offset for that group ID.
You can, however, seek to a specific offset during initialization (or at any time thereafter).

